Understanding your backyard can be the first step into international markets.
Rethinking What It Means to Understand the Market
When people think about commodities trading, they often picture giant exchanges, corporate boardrooms, or fast-moving finance hubs in cities like London or Singapore. But according to industry veteran Sheldon Burnett, understanding commodities starts much closer to home.
“Your local economy is part of the global economy,” says Burnett. “If you can see how supply and demand work in your neighbourhood, you can start to understand how markets operate worldwide.”
With over 20 years in commodities, trading, and logistics, Burnett believes that local insight, such as seasonal price changes at a farmers’ market, supply shortages at construction sites, or fuel cost fluctuations, can form the basis of global understanding.
Commodities Are Everywhere—You Just Have to Look
Commodities, at their core, are the essential raw materials or primary goods that serve as the foundation of the global economy. These are the building blocks of countless products and services we rely on daily. We’re talking about widely recognized items such as crude oil, corn, wheat, steel, coffee, cotton, and more. These resources are bought, sold, and traded across international markets, making them central to global trade and economic stability.
However, you don’t need to look at stock tickers or read a financial report to see commodities in action. Before they ever make their way into official global supply chain documents or commodities indexes, they quietly enter your daily life in ways you might not even notice at first. They’re present at the gas station when you fill up your car, at the grocery store when you see the fluctuating price of bread or fresh produce, and even in your favourite café when the price of a latte changes from one month to the next.
Burnett points out that these everyday encounters with commodities provide a valuable lens into the broader economic picture. By simply paying attention to how these goods are priced, stocked, and consumed in your neighbourhood, you begin to notice patterns. Maybe there’s a seasonal shift in availability, or perhaps geopolitical events overseas are quietly affecting the prices at your local market. These observations help you develop an intuition—a kind of real-world, practical awareness—for how global trends influence local realities.
He encourages aspiring commodities professionals to treat their surroundings as a learning ground. Watching how these materials flow through your life and your community can help you start recognizing the early signs of broader market movements.
Turning Local Observation into Global Strategy
Many traders and logistics professionals begin their journey by paying attention to micro-markets—the specific dynamics of a region, industry, or consumer base. Burnett argues that this kind of detailed awareness is what gives traders a competitive edge.
Here’s how local signals can map onto global market patterns:
| Local Observation | What It Could Indicate Globally |
| Local grocery stores are raising produce prices | Supply shortages due to weather or trade issues in key export countries |
| Diesel fuel price spike in your city | Changes in global oil supply or refining capacity |
| Construction delays or rising lumber costs | Global shortages in building materials or increased demand in other regions |
| Fewer seafood items at local markets | Disruptions in maritime shipping lanes or fishery output |
| Seasonal price fluctuations at farmers’ markets | Crop cycles, harvest yields, and futures contract rollovers |
“These aren’t just local quirks,” Burnett explains. “They’re early indicators of broader supply-and-demand shifts.”
Why Local Knowledge Is Undervalued in Global Markets
In a world increasingly focused on data and automation, Burnett believes local insight is still underappreciated in global trading.
“You can have all the dashboards in the world,” he says, “but if you don’t understand how people on the ground are thinking—how buyers and sellers behave—you’re missing half the story.”
Local market knowledge often leads to early signals: noticing a shortage of lumber in a construction zone, or higher diesel prices at a regional level, can offer clues before those trends are reflected in national reports or pricing indexes.
Bridging the Gap: Applying What You Know
For individuals aiming to break into the commodities market, Burnett emphasizes the value of leveraging their existing local knowledge and professional background. This could stem from work in industries such as retail, agriculture, logistics, or construction—sectors that are deeply connected to the movement, pricing, and supply of goods.
“It’s not about jumping straight into global finance,” Burnett explains. “It’s about taking a step back and asking yourself: What do I already understand about the products around me? How have I experienced changes in pricing, demand, or availability over the years?”
According to Burnett, having this grounded, firsthand experience can offer a solid launching point. Individuals with practical exposure to how goods flow and prices shift in local markets are often well-equipped to grasp broader trends. From there, they can begin building a more comprehensive view by tracking global supply chains, reading market analyses, and staying informed about international developments that affect trade and commodity flows.
Many professionals who have found long-term success in commodities didn’t start with a background in high finance or economics. Instead, they began with a deep understanding of a specific sector. Over time, by staying curious and continually learning, they expanded their knowledge to include macroeconomic patterns, geopolitical influences, and international trade dynamics—essential components of success in the commodities world.
Global Thinking Starts at Home
In an interconnected economy, global trends often begin with local realities. By sharpening your eye for movement, value, and supply in your community, you’re developing the exact skill set needed to thrive in international commodities.
Burnett’s advice? “You don’t need to reinvent yourself to get into this world. Just take what you already understand, zoom out, and see how it fits into the bigger picture.”
Track how one good move through your local economy. Follow its price, availability, and demand. Then ask—how does this connect to the rest of the world? You may already know more than you think.
